island.”
She nodded. “I was one of the unlucky ones who got it, but I can’t seem to shake it off. It lasted twenty-four hours for everyone else. Figures, right? But you’re not here to listen to me complain. I was sorry I couldn’t make your dinner. Our front-desk person called in sick, so I’m covering for her.”
“You missed the grand unveiling of Gansett’s newest couple.”
“Who’s that?”
“Seamus O’Grady and Carolina Cantrell.”
Laura’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. “Get outta here. Really?”
“Yep. Although I think he’s a lot more relaxed about it than she is. She broke out in hives in the middle of dinner.”
“Holy cow! This is huge! Janey has been holding out on me.”
“On everyone, apparently. Besides Joe and Janey, who only recently found out, no one knew except for my mom, and she only heard about it today.”
“Very interesting. I’ll have to get the scoop from Janey. So what’re you doing home?”
“Came to check on the boys and see my folks. Crazy doings around here lately.”
“You know it,” Laura said, shaking her head and making her blonde ponytail swing side to side. Her blue eyes filled with tears. “That was one long-ass awful day.”
Adam hugged the cousin who’d been like a second sister to him.
“I cry every time I think about it,” Laura said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
“You haven’t seen Grant tonight, have you?”
“No, he hasn’t been in.”
“Does he usually come by?”
“If Steph is working, he stops in for a drink or dinner. I haven’t seen her tonight, though.”
Laura’s fiancé Owen Lawry came in from the porch, carrying his guitar like a backpack. “I finished my set, babe. Want to get something to eat? Oh, hey, Adam. What’s up, man?”
Adam greeted his old friend with a hug. “Just looking for my wayward brother.”
“Which one?”
“Grant.”
“Haven’t seen him today. Did you look at Sam’s? Or Celtica?”
Adam nodded. “Checked all the usual places. No one’s seen him, and he’s not answering his phone.”
Owen and Laura exchanged glances.
“What?” Adam asked, as a sinking feeling attacked his stomach.
“He’s been…kinda off since the accident,” Owen said. “Definitely not himself.”
“So I’ve heard and seen for myself. If you see him, give me a call, will you?”
“Sure,” Owen said. “Will do.”
“You don’t think he’s with Abby, do you?” Laura asked softly.
Thunderstruck, Adam stared at his cousin. The thought had never occurred to him. “As far as I know, he doesn’t even know she’s home.”
“Still,” Laura said, “might be worth checking.”
“I’ll do that.”
“While you’re home,” Laura said, “I could use your expertise with our reservation system. It’s giving us fits.”
“I’d be happy to take a look.”
“Thanks.” Laura covered her mouth and braced a hand on her desk.
Owen stepped closer to her, gripping her shoulder. “Babe? What’s wrong?”
“Nauseous. Again.”
“Ugh, that damned flu is hanging on. Let’s get you upstairs. I’ll get Holden from my mom, and she can come down to cover for you here.”
“She’s got a date with Charlie tonight.” For Adam’s benefit, she added, “She’s been seeing Stephanie’s stepdad.”
“Sounds like an outbreak of romance around here. Good for them.”
“We think so, too,” Owen said, as he held out a hand to Laura.
“I’ll watch the desk until Sarah comes down,” Adam said.
“Thank you.” Laura gave him another quick hug. “So nice to have you home, cousin.”
“Good to be here. Feel better.” As Adam watched Laura and Owen go up the stairs arm in arm, he experienced a pang of yearning. He’d had that—or so he’d thought. Watching his cousin and friend together, so obviously in love, made Adam long for what they had, to have what each of his siblings had found with their partners in the last few years.
Growing up in a family of
She nodded. “I was one of the unlucky ones who got it, but I can’t seem to shake it off. It lasted twenty-four hours for everyone else. Figures, right? But you’re not here to listen to me complain. I was sorry I couldn’t make your dinner. Our front-desk person called in sick, so I’m covering for her.”
“You missed the grand unveiling of Gansett’s newest couple.”
“Who’s that?”
“Seamus O’Grady and Carolina Cantrell.”
Laura’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. “Get outta here. Really?”
“Yep. Although I think he’s a lot more relaxed about it than she is. She broke out in hives in the middle of dinner.”
“Holy cow! This is huge! Janey has been holding out on me.”
“On everyone, apparently. Besides Joe and Janey, who only recently found out, no one knew except for my mom, and she only heard about it today.”
“Very interesting. I’ll have to get the scoop from Janey. So what’re you doing home?”
“Came to check on the boys and see my folks. Crazy doings around here lately.”
“You know it,” Laura said, shaking her head and making her blonde ponytail swing side to side. Her blue eyes filled with tears. “That was one long-ass awful day.”
Adam hugged the cousin who’d been like a second sister to him.
“I cry every time I think about it,” Laura said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
“You haven’t seen Grant tonight, have you?”
“No, he hasn’t been in.”
“Does he usually come by?”
“If Steph is working, he stops in for a drink or dinner. I haven’t seen her tonight, though.”
Laura’s fiancé Owen Lawry came in from the porch, carrying his guitar like a backpack. “I finished my set, babe. Want to get something to eat? Oh, hey, Adam. What’s up, man?”
Adam greeted his old friend with a hug. “Just looking for my wayward brother.”
“Which one?”
“Grant.”
“Haven’t seen him today. Did you look at Sam’s? Or Celtica?”
Adam nodded. “Checked all the usual places. No one’s seen him, and he’s not answering his phone.”
Owen and Laura exchanged glances.
“What?” Adam asked, as a sinking feeling attacked his stomach.
“He’s been…kinda off since the accident,” Owen said. “Definitely not himself.”
“So I’ve heard and seen for myself. If you see him, give me a call, will you?”
“Sure,” Owen said. “Will do.”
“You don’t think he’s with Abby, do you?” Laura asked softly.
Thunderstruck, Adam stared at his cousin. The thought had never occurred to him. “As far as I know, he doesn’t even know she’s home.”
“Still,” Laura said, “might be worth checking.”
“I’ll do that.”
“While you’re home,” Laura said, “I could use your expertise with our reservation system. It’s giving us fits.”
“I’d be happy to take a look.”
“Thanks.” Laura covered her mouth and braced a hand on her desk.
Owen stepped closer to her, gripping her shoulder. “Babe? What’s wrong?”
“Nauseous. Again.”
“Ugh, that damned flu is hanging on. Let’s get you upstairs. I’ll get Holden from my mom, and she can come down to cover for you here.”
“She’s got a date with Charlie tonight.” For Adam’s benefit, she added, “She’s been seeing Stephanie’s stepdad.”
“Sounds like an outbreak of romance around here. Good for them.”
“We think so, too,” Owen said, as he held out a hand to Laura.
“I’ll watch the desk until Sarah comes down,” Adam said.
“Thank you.” Laura gave him another quick hug. “So nice to have you home, cousin.”
“Good to be here. Feel better.” As Adam watched Laura and Owen go up the stairs arm in arm, he experienced a pang of yearning. He’d had that—or so he’d thought. Watching his cousin and friend together, so obviously in love, made Adam long for what they had, to have what each of his siblings had found with their partners in the last few years.
Growing up in a family of
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